A Conversation with an Atheist: An Ancient, Reasoned and Radical Approach to Knowing God

McKenzie (The Wisdom Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita), whose The Broken Tusk website is dedicated to the Advaita Vedanta wisdom tradition, delivers a confusing treatise aimed at helping atheists reconsider their notions of God. Advancing a concept of God as a dual entity, the author posits that God 1 is a kind of formless consciousness, God 2 is a “benign force” that can be worshipped, and that understanding both is essential to a “God-knowledge.” In brief sections, the author ruminates on the relationship between God 2 and the individual; whether free will exists, given that “everything, down to subatomic particles, is created by God”; and explains how God as a whole is inseparable from love. He clarifies that while conventional religion can serve as a “starting point for our spiritual journey,” God must also be approached intellectually, as questioning received wisdom is vital on the “journey to God-knowledge.” While those with a background in Eastern religion will find some gems, McKenzie’s hazy language can too often obscure his meaning (“maya is perceived not only as God 2’s creative power but often, figuratively, as a sinister influence that makes living beings forget their identity and relationship with God using its twin powers of concealment and projection”). Those looking to tip their toes in the theistic waters will find this a tough place to start. (June)